1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surveillance system for placing a surveillance area under surveillance wherein sensor information acquired from the surveillance area by a sensor apparatus is transmitted by radio from the sensor apparatus to a communication adapter and then further transmitted from the communication adapter to a surveillance server through a public network. The invention also relates to a surveillance remote controller and a method of remotely controlling the sensor apparatus using the surveillance remote controller.
More particularly, the invention relates to a surveillance system for adopting a vehicle as a surveillance area, and a method of remotely controlling a sensor apparatus which detects the condition of the vehicle and a surveillance remote controller (hereinafter referred as surveillance remote) executing the method. Specifically, the invention relates to a surveillance system, a method of remotely controlling a sensor apparatus and a surveillance remote for making it possible to increase the range in which radio communications are possible from the aforementioned sensor apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, damage of theft, mischief, vehicle break-ins, etc., of a vehicle parked in a parking lot has risen dramatically. Thus, a vehicle surveillance system for placing a vehicle under surveillance is of great interest.
A vehicle surveillance system for placing a vehicle under surveillance has been known wherein sensor information acquired by a sensor apparatus installed in the vehicle is transmitted to a surveillance server through a mobile communication system, such as a mobile phone system.
Also, a vehicle surveillance system has been known wherein radio communications are conducted between a vehicle-installed sensor apparatus and a surveillance remote. In this system, sensor information is transmitted from the vehicle-installed sensor apparatus to the surveillance remote, and then, based on this sensor information, an instruction, such as warning or removal of warning, is transmitted from the surveillance remote to the vehicle-installed sensor apparatus.
As for the vehicle surveillance system wherein sensor information is transmitted from the vehicle-installed sensor apparatus to the surveillance server through the mobile communication system, a mobile communication terminal such as a mobile phone terminal is required to be installed in each vehicle. Thus, the installation cost of the mobile phone terminal and the communication charge become necessary for each vehicle, resulting in an increase in costs of the surveillance system.
In contrast, a surveillance system is possible wherein communication adapters for communicating with a surveillance server through a public network are installed at proper places and short-range radio communications using a radio LAN (local area network) , etc., are conducted between the communication adapter and the sensor apparatus installed in each vehicle. Such a surveillance system is suited for the case where a communication adapter is installed in a location where the user frequently parks his vehicle, so that the user places the parked vehicle under surveillance. For example, communication adapters are installed at a user's home and place of work, for placing the vehicle parked at a parking lot of the user's home or place of work under surveillance.
As for the surveillance system using the communication adapters, only one communication line may be used for a plurality of vehicles and thus the communication cost can be reduced. However, the range in which radio communications are possible from the vehicle-installed sensor apparatus is a radius of about several hundred meters of the vehicle-installed sensor apparatus and is narrower than the range in which radio communications are possible from the mobile phone terminal (a radius of about several kilometers of the mobile phone terminal). To circumvent this problem, it has been considered that the number of installed communication adapters can be increased for shortening the distance between the vehicle-installed sensor apparatus and the communication adapter so that the vehicle-installed sensor apparatus and the communication adapter can properly communicate with each other. However, this increases the installation cost, impairing the above-described communication cost reduction.